DOCSLIB.ORG

Our War Graves Your History

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Our War Graves Your History OUR WAR GRAVES YOUR HISTORY Brookwood Military Cemetery Points of interest… Commemorations: 8,765 First World War burials: 1,601 Second World War burials: 3,476 Casualties from the following nations; Australia Brookwood Military Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in Barbados the United Kingdom. During the First World War, an area of land in Brookwood Belgium Cemetery (The London Necropolis) was set aside for the burial of men and women British Guiana of the forces of the Commonwealth who had died. Many had died of wounds Canada received in battle or of illness in hospitals in the London area. Czechoslovakia France Germany This site was further extended to accommodate the Commonwealth casualties of Italy the Second World War. There is a large Royal Air Forces plot (which also contains Jamaica the graves of Czechoslovakian and American airmen who served with the Royal Netherlands Air Force). A further plot contains 2,400 Canadian graves. In addition to the New Zealand Commonwealth plots, the cemetery also contains French, Polish, Czechoslovakian, Poland Belgian and Italian sections, and war graves of other nationalities all cared for South Africa by the Commission. The American Military Cemetery is the responsibility of the South Rhodesia American Battle Monuments Commission. Undivided India United Kingdom USA West Indies Things to look out for… Key CWGC features to look out for: A 15 year old South African Thomas Knowles in the First World War Brookwood Military Cemetery is the only CWGC cemetery to have two Section (Plot 7. Row A. Grave 8.) Crosses of Sacrifice and two Stones of Remembrance. Violette Szabo GC on the There are also two CWGC Memorials to the missing at Brookwood. Brookwood 1939-35 Memorial The Brookwood 1914-1918 Memorial, and the Brookwood 1939-1945 (Panel 26) Memorial. Combined, these memorials commemorate more than 3,600 Graves of 43 Canadian’s who died as service men and women who have no known grave. a result of the Dieppe Raid in August 1942 (Canadian section, Plot 38) Discovering CWGC graves at Brookwood Military Cemetery A 3 2 6 5 B 1 7 4 15 8 16 13 14 9 12 11 10 Brookwood Military Cemetery is divided into a number of distinct plots. • The First World War plot contains small section of Indian Army and Muslim burials • The RAF plot also contains a Royal Air Forces shelter building which houses the register of the names of those buried in the section • There is a large plot of Canadian graves which includes the Canadian Records building, which was a gift of the Canadian government in 1946, and houses a reception room for visitors and other offices • Additional plots exist for different nationalities, as well as a plot for Chelsea Pensioners, which is cared for by CWGC Second World War Canadian Section The Canadian Records building stands at the main entrance to the CWGC cemetery. The building was a gift to the Commission from the Canadian government. The building houses the cemetery registers, offices and an exhibition about the CWGC. Buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery are almost 330 members of Canadian forces who died during the First World War, and over 2,400 who died during the Second World War. The vast majority are in the Canadian Plot beside the Records building. 1 As you enter the plot, in Plot 33A, Row B, there are the graves of some of those who were killed when the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks in central London was hit by a German V1 flying bomb on 18 June 1944. The attack killed 121 soldiers and civilians who were attending the Sunday service. 14 of those killed are buried here. Look out for several musicians from the band of the Coldstream Guards. 2 In Plot 47, you will find the grave of SergeantJohn Rennie GC (pictured). Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a child John Rennie travelled to Ontario with his family and grew up in the town of Kitchener. Rennie enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s) and was posted to England in the summer of 1943. On 29 October 1943, he was instructing recruits in the throwing of grenades when a grenade rolled back towards the group. Without hesitation Sgt Rennie dived on the grenade, saving the lives of the others. For his actions he was awarded the George Cross. The graves of George or Victoria Cross recipients have a carving of the medal on the headstone. They are the only headstones that have any physical distinction in design based Sergeant John Rennie GC on achievements. He was 23 years old. He is buried in Plot 47. Row D. Grave 8. 3 The graves in Section 51. Row F. are the entire crew of a Lancaster bomber from 424 (Tiger) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. On 5 April 1945, they took off from Skipton in Yorkshire to bomb targets in Germany. Their aircraft was badly damaged during the raid and on return they attempted to land at High Wycombe. During their final approach they clipped some treetops and crashed. The entire crew was killed, and they were laid to rest here side-by-side. B Proceed now to the 1914-1918 section of the cemetery, going via the American Battle Monuments Commission Cemetery (ABMC). A Additional point of interest… Chelsea Pensioners Plot The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement and nursing home for veterans of the British Army. In the early 1960s, the pensioners began to be buried here. The Commission looks after the graves on behalf of the Royal Hospital. The 1914-18 Section This section contains the graves of First World War service personnel from all six CWGC Commonwealth member government nations. It includes Australian, Canadian, South African and New Zealand plots, the original plot and a Muslim plot, which all date from the period of the First World War. 4 As you enter the section from the ABMC cemetery, you will see the original plot (Plot 13) on the right-hand side. The headstones are not arranged in rows and many are touching. At first, it was not known how many burials would be made here and therefore trench graves were dug. Therefore, some of the headstones in this plot bear the name of more than one serviceman as they were laid side by side, rather than in an individual grave. Buried in this plot, in row D is Samuel Brown from Barbados. He served with the British West Indies Regiment and died of tuberculosis at Grove Military Hospital in Totting in May 1918. 5 Opposite in Plot 15 are the graves of 46 German servicemen who died in the Second World War. Many were airmen shot down on bombing raids. After 1944, some were those who had died of their wounds while prisoners of war. Among those buried here are the crew of German aircraft shot down near Portsmouth in May 1944. The crew are buried together in a collective grave in Row D. 6 On the far side of the 1914-18 plot is the Muslim Plot (Plot 2A). The plot was created in the late 1960s when the burials from the Muslim Cemetery in Woking were transferred to Brookwood so they could be better maintained. Among those buried here is Naik (Corporal) Fazal Khan of the 93rd Burma Infantry who came from the Punjab. He has been wounded fighting in France in the autumn of 1915 and died of his wounds at a UK hospital. 7 Along the front row of Plot 7, the South African plot, is the grave of Private Thomas Andrew Knowles of Kimberley, South Africa. It is believed he was to be a bandsman in the 1st South African Infantry but died of Spanish Flu on 22 October 1918, just before the end of the war. At just 15 years old, Thomas is the youngest CWGC casualty in this cemetery. Brookwood Military Cemetery The RAF Section The 480 graves in the RAF Section are arranged in six plots (Plots 20-25) directly below the 14- 18 section. There are six Australian, four Canadian, 10 Dutch, six New Zealand and 456 United Kingdom burials here which date from the Second World War. There are also 20 Americans of the ‘Eagle Squadrons’. These Americans served with the Royal Air Force before the American entry into the war. 8 As you enter the RAF Section, on the left, in the front row is Sergeant William McDonald (Plot 23. Row A. Grave 16). William died on 25 October 1942. He was serving as a rear gunner of a Lancaster bomber. On 24 October, his aircraft was part of a daylight raid on Genoa. During the raid, William was badly wounded by air-aircraft fire and died in hospital the following day. His parents, who lived in Chile, requested the personal inscription on his headstone be a line from a letter which he had sent to them. ‘Mother, I’ve weighted the risks – which I prefer – to living in a world – dominated by Nazis – Bill’ 9 On the opposite side of the section, in Plot 21 are two graves which belong to the Fitzgerald brothers. Sergeant Joseph Fitzgerald, who died 25 September 1941, aged 19, and his brother Sergeant Leslie Fitzgerald, who died on 31 March 1943. They were buried side-by-side in Plot 21. Row A. Grave 3. on the request of their family At the far end of the section is the Royal Air Force shelter building, which is inscribed in latin with words which translate, ‘Through adversity, to the stars’. Brookwood Military Cemetery, RAF plot Other national plots 10 Belgian Plot Plot 26 contains 47 Belgian personnel, 26 of them Army, 20 Merchant Navy and one Belgian Air Force.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 1945-01-15 [P
    TWO____ ada to northern Indiana, skirt' Action the Great Lakes Killed In SNOW AND SLEET regions Thousands Of Germans Snow or rain was Admiral Fraser Preparing Obituaries torecast for most of the Midwest. In MIDWEST Middle At. I MRS. MARY FRANCES STRIKE lantic states the With Fleet same my; I To Strike Japs FUTRELLE falling as far In Ardennes south as Futrelle, Trapped the Associated Press 1 Frances By Dela^' here1 to the and we are Mrs. Mary Throughout New York By RUSSELL BRINES get Japs snow and sleet fell tif..n ] Dock died at 2:15 (Continued from Page One) chance for a of the A mixture of 'a* MACARTHUR’Sigoing to pursue them.” of 1610 .street, repetition expected to reach G or 7 GENERAL and Philip- Sir Bruce said British and Am- in Bulluck hospi- Falaise round-up in France. over most of the Midwest state and 9 in New ^ HEADQUARTERS, Leyte, p.m. yesterday ally, pilots reported that the Ger- Third York’Co,. I ■ task forces would unleash Tanks of the First Army’s Jan. Bri- erican east yesterday (Sunday> and the *ell east ot pines, 14.—(IP)—Powerful tal. mans were massing iarge armored 83rd Divis- S^w. APpaia;m will Am- continuous blows thereby “tighten- Armored Division and forecast was that more mountains in “ | tish naval units soon join a daughter, forces at Trier, big weather Pennsylvania p :k on the He She is survived by Wehrmacht ion battered their way erica’s Pacific fleet in striking ing pressure enemy.” four sons, infantrymen snow would “frost the cake’’ to- men said the Mrs.
    [Show full text]
  • John Curtin's War
    backroom briefings John Curtin's war CLEM LLOYD & RICHARD HALL backroom briefings John Curtin's WAR edited by CLEM LLOYD & RICHARD HALL from original notes compiled by Frederick T. Smith National Library of Australia Canberra 1997 Front cover: Montage of photographs of John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia, 1941-45, and of Old Parliament House, Canberra Photographs from the National Library's Pictorial Collection Back cover: Caricature of John Curtin by Dubois Bulletin, 8 October 1941 Published by the National Library of Australia Canberra ACT 2600 © National Library of Australia 1997 Introduction and annotations © Clem Lloyd and Richard Hall Every reasonable endeavour has been made to contact relevant copyright holders of illustrative material. Where this has not proved possible, the copyright holders are invited to contact the publisher. National Library Cataloguing-in-Publication data Backroom briefings: John Curtin's war. Includes index. ISBN 0 642 10688 6. 1. Curtin, John, 1885-1945. 2. World War, 1939-1945— Press coverage—Australia. 3. Journalism—Australia. I. Smith, FT. (Frederick T.). II. Lloyd, C.J. (Clement John), 1939- . III. Hall, Richard, 1937- . 940.5394 Editor: Julie Stokes Designer: Beverly Swifte Picture researcher/proofreader: Tony Twining Printed by Goanna Print, Canberra Published with the assistance of the Lloyd Ross Forum CONTENTS Fred Smith and the secret briefings 1 John Curtin's war 12 Acknowledgements 38 Highly confidential: press briefings, June 1942-January 1945 39 Introduction by F.T. Smith 40 Chronology of events; Briefings 42 Index 242 rederick Thomas Smith was born in Balmain, Sydney, Fon 18 December 1904, one of a family of two brothers and two sisters.
    [Show full text]
  • 2Nd New Zealand Division (REIN) Majgen Bernard C
    Tel el Aqqaqir Operation SUPERCHARGE Second Battle of El Alamein 23 October 1942 8th Army Tel el Aqquaqir 23 Oct 1942 ANNEX A: Task Organization to Operation SUPERCHARGE 8th Army LtGen Bernard L. Montgomery XXX Corps LtGen Sir Oliver Leese 9th Australian Division MajGen L.J. Morshead 51st Highland Division MajGen Douglas M. Wimberley 2nd New Zealand Division (REIN) MajGen Bernard C. Freyberg 9th Armoured Brigade 152nd Brigade, 51st Highland Division 151st Brigade, 50th Northumberland Division 23rd Armoured Brigade Group 1st South African Division MajGen D.H. Pienaar 4th Indian Division MajGen F.I.S. Tuker 4th/6th SAACR X Corps LtGen Herbert Lumsden 1st Armoured Division MajGen R. Briggs 10th Armoured Division MajGen Alec H. Gatehouse 8th Armoured Division (-) MajGen C.H. Gairdner XIII Corps LtGen Brian G. Horrocks 7th Armoured Division (REIN) MajGen A.F. Harding 1st French Brigade Group 50th Northumberland Division (REIN) MajGen J.S. Nichols 2nd French Brigade Group 1st Greek Infantry Brigade Group 44th Home Counties Division MajGen I.T.P. Hughes 1st Army Tank Brigade 21st Indian Infantry Brigade 2nd AA Brigade 12th AA Brigade 9th Australian Division Tel el Aqquaqir 23 Oct 1942 ANNEX A: Task Organization to Operation SUPERCHARGE 9th Australian Division MajGen L.J. Morshead Div Signals, Provost, Salvage AAOC 10th, 11th, 12th Co AASC 2/3rd, 2/8th, 2/11th Field Ambulance, 2/4th Field Hygiene AAMC 9th Division Cavalry Regt 2/3rd Pioneer Bn 2/2nd Machinegun Bn 20th Aus Infantry Brigade Brig W.J.V. Windeyer Bde HQ, Bde Signals, Bde AAOC Workshop 2/13th Bn LtCol BobTurner KIA Maj George Colvin WIA 2/15th Bn LtCol C.K.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Txu-Oclc-35776857-1942-06-06-013-00001.Pdf (775.8Kb)
    6/6/42 - No. 13 MAJOR-GENERAL HERBERT LUMSDEN, ,D.S.O., M.C. Commanding; 1st Armoured Division in Libya in Major-General Herbert Lumsden, D.S.0., M .C., was born 1897. of At the outbreak of the 4 years' war, although only 17 years age, for a in the ho was mobilised with the Territorials, serving nearly year second ranks. In May, 1916, he was commisioned from Woolwich as a from lieutenant in the .Royal Artillery, He fought in France and Belgium 1916 to the Armistice, being wounded and winning the M.C. that After the war he held a number of staff appointments, including of Instructor at the Staff College, and during periods of regimental duty 12th to whom he took a leading part in the mechanisation of the Lancers, had been transferred from the Royal Horse Artillery. and He was promoted Lieutenant Colonel in July 1938, acting Brigadier after Dunkirk, In Belgium, the 12th Lancers, under Lt. Col. Lumsden, as he then was, in down were tireless in reconnaissance, in checking the enemy, and sweeping cf the upon venturesome enemy detachments and blotting thorn cut* in advance the British line along the Decndre and Escaut* / the of most At end May they were called upon to repair a dangerous position on the north flank of the 3rd Division, The Belgian Army had ceased fighting and the Germans were pressing on at the utmost speed to cross the Yser River and Canal and get behind the B.E.F. Colonel Lumsden committed his w rhole force to 'a series cf heavy rearguard actions to gain time for the demolition of all bridges, Many mines wore exploded by parties cf the 12th and many telling counter-strokes delivered, Lancers 'were everywhere and their Colonel seemed to be everywhere also.
    [Show full text]
  • SUPPLEMENT to the LONDON GAZETTE, I JANUARY, 1945
    SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, i JANUARY, 1945 To be Additional Members of the Military Major^General Robert Harley Wordsworth, Division of the Third Class, or Companions, C.B.E., Indian Army. of the -said Most Honourable Order:— Colonel (temporary Major-General) Ernest Colonel (temporary Major-General) Alexander Wood, C.I.E., M.C., Indian Army. Vass Anderson, M.B.E. (17247), late Royal Colonel (temporary Major-General) Francis Engineers. Robert Roy Bucher, O.B.E., M.C., Indian Colonel (temporary Major-General) Gerald Army. Brunskill, M.C. (18511), late The Royal Ulster Rifles. Colonel (temporary Major-General) Alexander To be Additional Members of the Civil Division Maurice Cameron, M.C. (9292), late Royal of the Third Class, or Companions, of the Engineers. said Most Honourable Order:— Major-General John Scott Crawford, C.B.E., Colonel Frescheville Hubert Ballantine-Dykes, M.I.Mech.E. (11221), late Royal Army D.S.O., O.B.E., A.D.C., President, Terri- Ordnance Corps. torial Army Association of the County of Lieutenant-Colonel (temporary Colonel) John Cumberland. Henry Bevan, M.C- (50751). Reserve of Brevet Colonel Charles Joseph Edmondstoune- Officers, General List, Territorial Army. Cranstoun, D.S.O., T.D., D.L., Chairman, Colonel (temporary Major-General) David Territorial Army Association of the County Robertson Duguid, M.B.E., A.M.I.E.E., of Lanark. A.M.I.Mech.E. (34486), late -Royal Electrical Lieutenant-Colonel (Honorary Colonel) Ernest and Mechanical Engineers. Clive Atkins, D.L., Chairman, Territorial Colonel (temporary Brigadier) Charles Esmond Army Association of the County of Leicester. de Wolff, C.B.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Examining My Grandfather's War at El Alamein
    A Private on the Public Stage: Examining My Grandfather’s War at El Alamein ‡ Laurie James Laker My grandfather, Eric George Laker, was captured at the Battle of El Alamein, North Africa, on October 27, 1942. He was held in a succession of prisoner of war camps across central Europe before the war ended in 1945. For the duration of his captivity he kept a diary, which he titled “Summary of Events: From 27th October 1942 to 24th May 1945.” At the time of his capture, he was 22 years old. Repatriated to England on May 24, 1945–he arrived home in Sussex at age 25, having been a prisoner of war for two years and seven months. While the bulk of the diary reflects upon his time as a prisoner of war, of chief importance and interest to me, however, is the specific focus that comes from the initial pages of this diary–The Battle of El Alamein. The Second Battle of El Alamein took place over a period of 20 days from October 23, 1942, until November 11, 1942. The second of the two great battles in North Africa, this latter engagement resulted in the Axis forces retreating and conceding defeat, despite Hitler’s insistence that Rommel “show [the German forces] no other road than that to victory or death” (Rommel and Hart 321). It was this battle that turned the tide of the second World War in favor of the Allies, marking a distinct revival in the morale of the Allied forces and 177 commanders–it was the first major offensive victory against the enemy since the start of the European war in 1939.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Armoured Division (1942)]
    3 September 2020 [1 ARMOURED DIVISION (1942)] st 1 Armoured Division (1) Headquarters, 1st Armoured Division 2nd Armoured Brigade Group (2) Headquarters, 2nd Armoured Brigade Group & Signal Section The Queen’s Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales’s Own) 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers 1st Bn. The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) (3) 11th Regiment (Honourable Artillery Company), Royal Horse Artillery 88th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery 44th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery No. 3 Troop, 1st Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 2nd Armoured Brigade ‘A’ Company, Royal Army Service Corps 2nd Armoured Brigade ‘B’ Company, Royal Army Service Corps 1st Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 201st Guards Brigade Group (4) Headquarters, 201st Guards Brigade Group & Signal Section 3rd Bn. Coldstream Guards 2nd Bn. Scots Guards 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 1st Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 201st Guards Brigade Group (903) Company, Royal Army Service Corps 5th Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 201st Guards Brigade Group Ordnance Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Page 1 3 September 2020 [1 ARMOURED DIVISION (1942)] 201st Guards Brigade Group Provost Section, Corps of Military Police 201st Guards Brigade Group Postal Unit, Royal Engineers Divisional Troops (5) 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) (6) 7th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 1st Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers 1st Armoured Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals. ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Page 2 3 September 2020 [1 ARMOURED DIVISION (1942)] NOTES: 1. This formation was the United Kingdom’s only pre-war armoured division located in the U.K.; the other formation being The Armoured Division (Egypt), later to become the 7th Armoured Division.
    [Show full text]
  • January 2020
    The Newsletter of the Army Residence Community VolumeThe 34 Number 1 Eagle January 2020 Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar is our JanuaryMemorial Eagle Luncheon Day Speaker 2019 Before They’re Gone: Portraits & Stories of Sandra Edsall meets with Sheriff Salazar to WWI discussI Veterans the topic: Empowering Exhibit unveiled Seniors January 2020 Contents – Inside The Eagle 1 Front Cover 2 Contents A Note from Bill Klein, 3 Birthdays and Passings Resident Council Chair: 3 Deadlines in the Election Season 4 – 5 A Conversation with the CEO Yesterday (13 December) we 6 Monte Carlo 2020 handed out the Gift Fund checks. 7 ARC Library There were lots of happy faces and 8 – 9 New Resident Welcome R all of us made it clear that the eception checks were from you, the 10 – 11 Adventures of an Early Aviator residents. The final results were: 12 ARC Satellite to the MOAA Alamo Chapter Inaugural Event Total Funds: $334,116.11; 13 January Movies at Lakeside ARC hour paid: $.55; 14 – 15 January Activities Total receiving gift: 344. 16 Eagle Luncheon: Bexar County The average check was $877.81. Sheriff Javier Salazar So bottom line, many thanks for ------------------------------------------------------------- urging residents to contribute. It The “Big” Eagle continues at the Resident was a great day for the ARC. Portal of armyresidence.com with: On another note thank you for your Military History Series by Mike Huebner: timely votes on the HCC project. All the votes were yea except one. I 240 Years Ago: The American Revolution helped pass out the checks at 75 Years Ago: WWII, The Pacific Theater Healthcare at 6:30am yesterday in 75 Years Ago: WWII, The European Theater the room that is to be upgraded and Poetry by Jo Compton I can pass on to you that Suzanne and the nurses were thrilled at the And Late Developing News.
    [Show full text]
  • G.H.Q. Troops (1940)]
    16 May 2019 [B.E.F., G.H.Q. TROOPS (1940)] G.H.Q. Troops (1) st 1 Light Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (2) Headquarters, 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade & Signal Section 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry 1st East Riding Yeomanry nd 2 Light Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (3) Headquarters, 2nd Light Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade & Signal Section 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars st 1 Army Tank Brigade (4) Headquarters, 1st Army Tank Brigade & Signal Section 4th Bn. The Royal Tank Regiment 7th Bn. The Royal Tank Regiment 8th Bn. The Royal Tank Regiment Unbrigaded Armoured Units th 12 Royal Lancers (5) th th 4 /7 Royal Dragoon Guards (6) th th 13 /18 Royal Hussars (7) Infantry st 1 Bn. Welsh Guards (8) Machine Gun Battalions th 7 Bn. The Cheshire Regiment (9) st th 1 /8 Bn. The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) (10) th 4 (City of Aberdeen) Bn. The Gordon Highlanders (11) th 6 (Argyllshire) Bn. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) (12) ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Page 1 16 May 2019 [B.E.F., G.H.Q. TROOPS (1940)] Pioneer Battalions th 6 Bn. The King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (13) th 7 Bn. The King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (14) th 8 Bn. The King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (15) th 9 Bn. The King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (16) 1st/6th Bn. The South Staffordshire Regiment Garrison Battalion th 9 Bn. The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Own) (17) ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Page 2 16 May 2019 [B.E.F., G.H.Q.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir John White : Witness to History
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Sir John White: Witness to History A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In History At Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand Lynn Charles McConnell 2016 ABSTRACT Many contributions have been made to New Zealand’s literary record of the Second World War, from the comprehensive War History Series that recorded each action and every unit of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force through to the memoirs of lowly contributors down the ranks. Everyone saw the war through different eyes. While much has been written, so there is much still to be understood about New Zealand’s contribution to the defeat of the forces of fascism and Nazism between 1939-1945. By far the majority of those who served the nation declined to talk, even to their families, about their experiences, preferring to keep them bottled up, possibly as a result of what they saw, memories of lost comrades or believing non- participants would not understand. Debate, controversy and study have gone into many of the writings from the war and into the actions in which New Zealanders were involved. Typical of many of those who largely decided to retain their own counsel, a not inappropriate description given his later status, was John White. He started the war as a second-lieutenant and ended as a Major.
    [Show full text]
  • Osprey Campaign
    ORIGINS OF THE BATTLE OPPOSITE A Panzergrenadier he three battles which took place in the desert to the south of the from Rommel's Afrika Korps, all isolated railway station of El Alamein in 1942 marked the climax of wrapped and goggled ready for Hitler's plan to wrest Egypt from the British. His goal of seizing the action against the enemy, wind- blown sand and the unrelenting Suez Canal and opening the Middle East to Axis forces had to be sun. (Bundesarchiv 1011-785- abandoned when his forces were soundly beaten. The success of these 0285-14A) three actions transferred the initiative back to the British and precipitated the collapse of Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel's Panzerarmee Afrika, forcing it into a long retreat across North Africa which eventually ended in its complete annihilation in Tunisia the following year. The final battle of El Alamein was a turning point in the war and was the last signal achievement gained by the British before American troops entered the conflict. Prime Minister Winston Churchill later claimed that before Alamein the British Army had not gained a major victory; after Alamein it did not suffer a major defeat. The Desert War had begun as a colonial skirmish in September 1940 when Italian forces crossed the border from Libya into Egypt. The garrison of 36,000 British under Gen Wavell faced 215,000 Italians led by General Marshal Graziani. Undaunted by the overwhelming odds, Wavell's forces attacked the invaders and threw them out, following up the success with belligerent moves under LtGen O'Connor which pushed the Italians back across the whole of Cyrenaica to El Agheila.
    [Show full text]
  • South East Asia Command H & P
    2020 www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Author: Robert PALMER, M.A. SOUTH EAST ASIA COMMAND (HISTORY & PERSONNEL) A concise history of South East Asia Command, a supreme headquarters in existence between 1943 and 1946. In addition, details of known appointments are included. Copyright ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk (2020) 3 July 2020 [SOUTH EAST ASIA COMMAND H & P] A Concise History of South Asia Command (S.E.A.C.) Version: 2_1 This edition dated: 3 July 2020 ISBN: Not yet allocated. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means including; electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, scanning without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Author: Robert PALMER, M.A. (copyright held by author) Assisted by: Stephen HEAL Published privately by: The Author – Publishing as: www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk © www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 1 3 July 2020 [SOUTH EAST ASIA COMMAND H & P] South East Asia Command (S.E.A.C.) The ‘Trident’ Conference held in Washington in May 1943 discussed the Allied plans for the reconquest of Burma. The Combined Chiefs of Staff could not agree on a consensus, the Americans wished to expand the air route into China and open up land communications between Burma and China; whilst the British wished to contain the Japanese forces until a major amphibious operation could be launched. In a compromise, the British agreed to the expansion of the air bridge to China. The failure of the First Arakan Campaign led to concerns about the command structure in the region, and an agreement in principle was reached to form an Inter- Allied South East Asia Command.
    [Show full text]